賄 (huì) - bribe, bribery & to bribe

賄Tone 4

huì ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

惠慧

賄 · huì

bribe, bribery;

to bribe;

wealth, goods

bribe, briberyto bribewealth, goods

Usage highlights

accept bribesoffer bribesbribery crimebribery casebribery scandalbribery funds

Synonyms

  • 赂— bribe, present bribes
  • 赃— ill-gotten gains, bribes

Antonyms

  • 廉— incorruptible, honest
  • 洁— clean, pure

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He was accused of accepting bribes (受贿).
  • The official was found guilty of bribery (贿赂).
  • They attempted to bribe the witness (行贿).
  • Anti-corruption campaigns target bribe-taking (贪污受贿).

Collocations

  • accept bribes(受贿)
  • offer bribes(行贿)
  • bribery crime(贿赂罪)
  • bribery case(贿赂案)
  • bribery scandal(贿赂丑闻)
  • bribery funds(贿款)

Idioms

  • To offer bribes and bend the law(贿赂公行)
  • To accept bribes and pervert justice(贪贿无艺)
  • Bribery and corruption are rampant(贿货公行)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with corruption in officialdom, particularly during imperial China.
  • The character contains the 'shell/money' radical (貝), indicating its connection to wealth and transactions.
  • Modern usage is almost exclusively negative, related to illegal payments and corruption.

FAQ